Happy Nonfarm Friday! Crude is mustering a positive end to a rather lackluster week, as poor US oil demand (hark, a 13-yr low) threw a wet blanket over prices. It has taken a decent employment report here in the US today to reverse this trend. Meanwhile, natural gas is on another rollercoaster ride, falling three days in a row before rallying over 7% on the back of a slightly more bullish-than-consensus storage print on Thursday. What a week it has been…let’s hit the cuisine:   

–The top 5 energy stories of Obama’s presidency.

–Why historic buildings are more efficient than LEED-qualified ones.

–Susceptible and impossible super bowl records.

–In the developing world, solar is cheaper than fossil fuels.

–Highlights of BP’s outlook for 2030.

–Infographic on the evolution of Google…..and why they invest so much in clean energy.

–California gets 5% of its electricity from wind.

–Infographic on Apple’s cash.

–Exports accounted for 14% of economic growth last year, the most since 1929.

–The annual grocery sale cycle – what to buy, and when.

–Eight areas to watch in China in the year of the Dragon.

–Infographic on how to read food labels.

–11 charts and graphs about tv shows.

The Burrito Deluxe Award of the Week goes to the US unemployment rate, which fell last month to 8.3%, the lowest level since early 2009.

The Burnt Burrito Award of the Week goes to the Baltic Dry Index, which is down 65% year-to-date. This index measures shipping costs of dry commodites, and due to the  influx of new ships to the market, pricing has crashed – destroying its relevance as an indicator of commodity prices.   

Have a jumping weeekend!

Good day, good day!  Crude has toppled below the monkey bar of $100 late on this week as – would you believe - Euro debt concerns arise once more. In addition, crude has been clobbered by a disheartening domestic demand situation. Total product demand is down 7.2% on this time last year, while gasoline demand has just plummeted to its lowest level since 2001. And while on the subject of plummeting to new lows, the good ship natty has keeled over and made a decade low as supply remains staunch and the storage surplus swells (…while weather is set to swelter). Ay, there’s the rub, and here’s the grub.

–32,100 New Yorkers speak out against fracking.

–Why tornadoes take the weekend off.

–17 best pun store names.

–How high oil prices could squelch a recovery.

–Santa Claus China is coming to town (…51% urbanization and rising).

–Amazing cakes that look like other foods.

–Obstacles facing US wind energy.

–Infographic on the Facebook IPO.

–Burning America’s future by Bill McKibben.

–Council puts signs on trees not to put signs on trees.

–UK gas hub faces rising challenge from Europe.

–US on path to energy self-sufficiency in 20 years.

–20 predictions for life 100 years from now.

–Natural gas glut fuels export debate.

–Infographic about the Black Market.

–The pleasures and pitfalls for off-the-grid solar.

–Ben Franklin’s 200 synonyms for…being tipsy.

The Burrito Deluxe Award of the Week goes to natural gas storage levels, both here and in the UK. The UK sees storage still over 80% full, more than double the level it was this time last year as a mild winter reigns. Meanwhile, the storage surplus to last year in the US has swollen to a whopping 539 Bcf.   

The Burnt Burrito Award of the Week goes to aforementioned gasoline demand, which has just reached a level not seen since 2001. The implications of this is an economy that is merely staggering along, as opposed to strong.

Have a gregarious weekend!

Crude had already been pressured back into double-digitdom by the likely delay to an oil embargo on Iran by the EU, while natural gas has plundered lower and lower on moderate weather outlooks, and both rampant storage surpluses and supply. But enough from me, let’s hit the treats.  

–10 significant oil and gas discoveries in 2011.

–Great posts on the costs and benefits of the Keystone pipeline.

–File under nasty: 11 things with more germs than toilet seats.

–Germany installed more solar panels in December than the US did all year.

 –Natural gas price drop won’t derail shale drilling, while shale bubble inflates on record land prices.

–Nine more awesome miniatures.

–US consumers spent a record amount on gasoline in 2011.

–Infographic: Apple (the company) vs. Apples (the fruit).

–India targets 33 Gigawatts of solar power by 2022.

–To avoid a rising sea level, Maldives President may move entire nation to Australia.

–Doctors urge fracking moratorium.

–Which are better: electric cars or natural gas vehicles?

–100 healthy remedies that are freely available in your home.

–Naked oil. (excellent piece by a Director at the Int’l Petroleum Exchange).

–Interactive map of the US showing GHG emissions for 2010 for large facilities.

–US routes as a subway map. (h/t Jeff Sullivan)

The Burrito Deluxe Award of the Week goes to this winter. The lack of frigid conditions may be killing heating demand for natural gas, but it sure makes it a more pleasant environment to live in! 

The Burnt Burrito Award of the Week goes to the euro, which has sold off to a level not seen since September 2010 on continued concerns about the Euro region debt crisis.

May you have a shenanigan-filled weekend!

Despite the end-of-year lull in general markets, interesting tales about energy, the weird, and the wonderful continue to pass by like high-speed trains. In this last week of the year we have seen crude move into triple digits on geopolitical concerns, only to retrace again on Euro worries, while natty has broken below $3 for the first time since September 2009 as strong supply and warmer weather reigns. But enough from me, it’s time to eat: 

–Everything you need to know about the shale gas revolution but were too afraid to ask.

–The top ten oil stories of 2011.

–Quiz time! What do you remember from 2011? 

–Trading places. Emerging markets are set to import more than developed ones.

–Special report on Iran, sanctions, and oil.

–Infographic on Facebook friend facts.

–Ethicaloil.org goes bananas (h/t Jenn Hammond)

–One field of heliostats to rule them all…

–Seven wacky truck spills.

–US highway traffic has declined for 47 months in a row.

–How oil prices affect food prices. (h/t @EnergyMrktIntel)

–Most desirable neighbor for 2012?

–Fastest-growing jobs in the US 2007-2011 = Energy.

–Is energy the Achilles heel of BRICs?

–Famous pictures digitally altered.

–US corn being turned into ethanol is now only 40% of total crop.

–Natural gas from waste water?

–Cat scores 128 on Fruit Ninja for the ipad.

The Burnt Burrito Award of the Week goes to escalating geopolitical tension, from Iraq to Iran to Syria to Kazakhstan to Nigeria…and the list goes on.

The Burrito Deluxe Award of the Week goes to this wonderfully festive picture of Mr. T and Nancy Reagan.

All the best for 2012….Happy New Year!!!

2011 has been an amazing year in EnergyBurritoland™. Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you have the most utterly brilliant holiday period. What a year it has been; here’s a quick tour of some of the key themes and drivers of Energyland™ in the past twelve months:

Happy Holidays!